Folding cone sonobuoy delivery system



fi 1958 c; c. PAYNE ETAL 3,368,480

I FOLDING CONE SONOBUOY DELIVERY SYSTEM Filed April 15, 1966 3 She'LSShe-et l INVENTORS CHARLES C. PAY/Vb"v WILLIAM R. EDWARDS CLIFFORD L'. FREEMAN ATTORNEY 1968 C. c. PAYNE ETAL 3,363,480

FOLDING CONE SONOBUOY DELIVERY SYSTEM Filed April 15, 1966 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 13, 1968 -c. c. PAYNE ETAL 3,368,480

FOLDING CONE SONOBUOY DELIVERY SYSTEM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 15, 1966 ai l llll-l United States Patent Office 3,353,48@ Patented Feb. 13, 1968 FOLDING CONE SONOBUGY DELIVERY SYSTEM Charles C. Payne, Hollywood, William R. Edwards, California, and Clifford L. Freeman, Valley Lee, Md., as-

signors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Apr. 15, 1966, Ser. No. 543,777 Claims. (Cl. 1027) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention described herein may be manufactured t and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates generally to a delivery system for air-dropping .stores and, more particularly, to

a sonobuoy delivery system which is designed to be dropped from an aircraft into the sea.

In locating underwater objects, such as submarines or the like, sonar devices are frequently deployed in the water over a wide area for either transmitting or receiving signals. In deploying such sonar devices, it is common to air-drop the device at the location desired. The problem has thus arisen of compactly packaging the sonar device, the descent retarding device and flotation means into a sonobuoy delivery system.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a compact package for stores that are to be airdropped which will have a self-contained descent retarding device, a flotation device and associated mechanism for actuating the devices when the package is released from an aircraft.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a delivery system for stores that are to be air-dropped which has a folding ballistic delay cone and a mechanism for actuating the ballistic delay cone from a folded to an opened position.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a package for air-dropping sonar devices which package has a self-contained descent retarding device and a release mechanism for automatically deploying the retarding device.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a compact package for air-dropping sonar devices which has a self-contained descent retarding device, a flotation device and a mechanism for automatically deploying the devices into operable position.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a delivery system for air-dropping sonar devices which system has a folding ballistic delay cone which can be held within the package and which can be released by suitable mechanisms into an opened position.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating the manner of deploying the sonobuoy from an aircraft;

FIG. 2 is a side View of the sonobuoy showing the folding ballistic delay cone in an opened position as, for example, when the sonobuoy is descending:

FIG. 3 is a side View of the floating delivery system with the sonar device being deployed;

FIG. 4a is a side elevation view in cross-section of the aft portion of the sonobuoy;

FIG. 4b is a side elevation view in cross-section of the forward portion of the sonobuoy; and

FIG. 5 is an end view taken along line 55 of FIG. 41:.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 3, it will be seen that the sonobuoy 10 is designed to be dropped from an aircraft 11 when searching for an underwater object such as submarine 13. A folding ballistic delay cone 12, or similar descent retarding means, is automatically deployed from the delivery system when released from an aircraft and thereby retards the rate of descent of the sonobuoy. Upon impact with the water, the sonar device 14 is released from the delivery system and allowed to sink to a predetermined depth as determined by the length of the line 16 attached to the floating delivery system 18.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, it will be seen that the sonobuoy is specifically made up of a delivery system 18 containing the flotation means, ballistic delay cone and the associated mechanism and a sonar device 14 attached to the delivery system. The sonar device is attached to the forward end of the system by shear pins 20. The particular sonar device forms no part of the present invention and could be replacedby any electronic device or store which is required to be air-dropped.

The delivery system is packaged in a housing having a cylindrical casing 22, end wall 24 and a cap 30. The cylindrical casing 22 has a forward end 23 and an aft end 25. The circular end wall is attached at the forward end and a cap 30 is adapted to snugly fit over the aft end of casing 22. A pilot rod 26 is mounted at the center of end wall 24 and extends longitudinally through the center of the cylindrical casing. Slidably mounted on the pilot rod is a guide tube 28. Attached at the aft end of guide tube 28 is the cap 30 and a clamp 32. Both cap 30 and clamp 32 are held in position by screw 34 which is screwed into the aft end of the guide tube 28. Clamp 32 holds four C-shaped spring arms 36 which are attached to the folding ballistic delay cone by means of clamps 38 and which arms are designed to bias the delay cone into an open position. Arms 36 are further adapted to be rotated in order to fold the ballistic delay cone for insertion into the housing. The ballistic delay cone is made up of a plurality of alternate flexible sections 40 and non-flexible sections 42 which are designed to be folded into a cylindrical shape, as shown in FIGS. 4a and 5. In the opened position the delay cone is formed into the shape of a truncated cone. Each of the non-flexible sections are provided with a plurality of holes 44.

An actuator tube 46 is slidably mounted on guide tube 28 by means of a small bushing 48 mounted inside tube 46 approximately midway along the length of the tube. Compression spring 50 is located between the outside of guide tube 28 and the inside of tube 46. Spring 50 acts against bushing 48 and is connected to the forward end of guide tube 28. Two diametrically opposed slots 52 are provided in the forward end of tube 46. A release bar 54 is slidably mounted on end wall 24 and is adapted to engage the slots 52 to thereby lock the tube 46 in the forward position. Thus, tube 46 can be moved forward to compress spring 50 and then locked in this position by having the release bar 54 engage slots 52. A second spring 56 is located between the outside of guide tube 28 and the inside of tube 46 and extends to the aft end of tube 28 where it is connected. The forward end 58 of spring 56 is attached to tube 46.

Around the aft portion of tube 46 there is positioned cylindrically-shaped flotation material 60, 62 separated by a retaining cup 64 which is designed to hold the ballistic delay cone in the folded position. The flotation material is held in position by circular flanges 66 and 68 attached to tubing 46. Additional flotation materials 61, {53, 65 are mounted within cylindrical casing 22. A clamp 70 is attached to tube 46 and holds lead wire 72. The other end of wire 72 is attached to clamp 74 mounted on end Wall 24. The wire is of a length which permits tube 46 and associated flotation material 60, 62 to move to the aft end of the housing as will hereinafter be described.

The entire delivery system is held in a closed position by release bar 54 which is slidably mounted on guide studs 76 projecting from the end wall of the housing. The release bar has a portion which is shaped to enter slots 52 of tube 46 and which holds the tube against the force of spring 50. A helical spring 78 acts to maintain the release bar in the engaged position with tube 46. A trigger arm 80 is attached by rivets 82 to the outside of casing 22 and is connected to the release bar 54. By pulling trigger arm 36 away from casing 22, the release bar 54 disengages tube 45 to thereb actuate the ballistic delay cone into the opened position. The trigger arm can be actuated by either a delay line 15 as shown in FIG. 1 or by an equivalent mechanism on a bomb rack.

In operation, the delivery system will normally be held in a ready position where the entire system is within the housing. The ballistic delay cone is folded into a generally cylindrical shape and held in this position by retaining cup 64. Attached to the delivery system, as heretofore described, is the sonar device. The sonobuoy would be readied for air-dropping by attaching means, such as delay line, to the trigger arm for actuating the delivery system. When the sonobuoy is air-dropped, the trigger arm will be actuated which will unlock release bar 54 and allow tube 46 and associated flotation material to be pushed aft by the compression spring 50. As tube 46 continues to be forced aft, spring 56 is compressed and the cap is pushed off by the force of spring 56. The cap, guide tube 28 and ballistic delay cone are then forced aft out of the cylindrical casing by the force of spring 50 acting upon tube 46. Tube 46 and associated flotation material 60, 62 proceed aft until halted by wire 72. The guide tube and associated ballistic delay cone continues aft a short distance to thus release the folded ballistics cone from the retaining cup 64 and allowing spring arms 36 to fully open the delay cone. With the ballistic delay cone open the descent of the sonobuoy is retarded and upon impact with the water, the shear pins are ruptured to thus allow the sonar device to sink to a depth determined by the length of the line attached to the floating delivery system.

It should be realized that the delivery system was described in conjunction with a sonar device merely for illustrative purposes and that any electronic equipment or store could be employed with such a package assembly.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A delivery system for air-dropping equipment from an aircraft comprising:

a housing having a cylindrical section with a forward end and aft end, an end wall located at the forward end of said section and a cap snugly fitting over the aft end of said section;

a frusto-conical-shaped ballistic delay device for retarding the descent of the air-dropped equipment, said ballistic delay device normally being retained in a folded position within said housing; and

a spring actuated release means for releasing said caps and deploying said ballistic delay device from said aft end of said housing into an open position.

2. A delivery system of the character described in claim 1 wherein said ballistic frusto-conical-shaped delay device includes a plurality of alternate flexible and nonflexible sections which assume the shape of a truncated cone when opened and which are substantially cylindrical in sh ape when folded.

3. A delivery system of the character described in claim 2 wherein said release means includes a plurality of spring arms attached to said cap and said frusto-conicalshaped ballistic delay device, said spring arms biasing said device into an open position, said spring arms being rotatable into a closed position, whereby said frustoconical-shaped ballistic delay device and said arms are retained within said housing when said cap is fitted over the aft end of the housing.

4. A delivery system of the character described in claim 3 wherein said release means includes tubular means slidable coaxially with said cylindrical section, spring means biasing said tubular means in the aft direction and locking means normally holding said tubular means against the biasing force of said spring means, whereby the actuation of said locking means when the equipment is released from the aircraft permits said tubular means to be moved in the aft direction to thus remove said cap and deploy said ballistic delay device.

5. A delivery system of the character set forth in claim 1 in combination with a sonar device attached to said housing.

6. A delivery system of the character described in claim 1 further characterized by flotation means normally mounted centrall within said housing, said release mechanism moving said flotation means to the aft end of said housing simultaneously with the deployment of said frusto-conical-shaped ballistic delay device, whereby said housing is converted into a buoy device which upon, entering a body of water, floats with the aft end of the housing facing upwardly.

7. A delivery system of the character described in claim 6 wherein said release means includes a first tubular member coupled to said frusto-conical-shaped ballistic delay device, a second tubular member coupled to said flotation means, said first and second members being slidably mounted within said housing, spring means coupling said tubular members for biasing said tubular members in the aft direction and locking means for normally holding said tubular members against the biasing force of said spring means, whereby the actuation of said locking means when the equipment is released from an aircraft allows said tubular members to be moved in the aft direction to thereby deploy said ballistic delay device and move said flotation means to the aft end of the housing.

8. A delivery system of the character described in claim 7 further characterized by line means attached to both said second tubular member and said end wall of said housing, the length of said line means being selected so as to limit the distance of movement of said second tubular member in the aft direction so as to position said flotation means at the aft end of said section.

9. A delivery system of the character described in claim 8 wherein a retaining cup is attached to said second tubular means which is adapted to retain said ballistic delay cone in a folded position within said housing, said ballistic delay device being released from said cup when said second tubular member is brought to an abrupt halt and said first tubular member with the ballistic delay device coupled thereto proceeds in the aft direction.

10. A delivery system of the character set forth in claim 1 in combination with a sonar device attached to the forward end of said section by a length of cable and by a plurality of shear pins, whereby upon impact with a body of water the shear pins rupture and allow the sonar device to sink to a depth determined by the length of the cable connecting said sonar device and said housing which floats on the surface of a body of water.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Fogal et a1. 1024 7 Tatnall et a1. 244138 Chipperfield 244.138 Kamp et a1. 102-50 6 3,212,110 10/1965 Lombardo 102-7 X 3,228,634 1/1966 Chakoian et a1. 1024 X FOREIGN PATENTS 120,476 11/ 1918 Great Britain.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL W. ENGLE, Examiner.

T. H. WEBB, Assistant Examiner. 

